Folding brush



P. KAYE ET AL June 2, 1959' FOLDING BRUSH Filed May 21. 1957 INVENTORJS Fa 6'. T0. 2e

Unite tates I FOLDING BRUSH Philip Kaye, Norridge, and Edward E. Tate, Chicago, Ill, assignors to- Lester Peilet Application May 21, 1957,, Serial No. 660,508 Claims. (Cl. 15-184):

This invention relates tobrushes and pertains particularly to hair brushes or the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved brush having bristle: means adapted to-fold between open and closed positions.

A further object is to provide a new and improved folding brush in which the bristles are carried by a thin flexible flap mounted on the body of the brush, so that the flap may be wrapped around the body in either direction to open and close the brush.

Another object is to provide a new and improved brush which folds easily into an extremely compact closed position, with the bristles fully contained within the body of the brush.

A-further' objectv is to provide a new and improved folding brush which opens to a position inwhich the bristles project away from. the body and are firmly held thereon in a convenient position for use.

Another object is to provide a new and improved folding brush which may be molded at extremely low cost from plastic materials.

Further objects and advantages ofthe present invention will appear from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in: which:'

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a: folding"v brush to be described as an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the brush withparts away. I

Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view, taken generally along a line 3-3 in Fig. 2.1

' Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken generaliy along a line 4'"-'4 in.Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a bristle carrying flap embodied in the brush of; Figs. 1-4.

As already indicated, the. drawings illustrate a brush which is adapted to fold or? collapse so that the brush may be carried very conveniently in a pocket, purse, handbag or the like. In general, the brush 10 comprises a multitude of bristles 12 mounted on a thin flexible flap 14 which may be wrapped in either. direction. around a body 16, so that the bristles will be movable between a position of use, with the bristles standing upright from the body, and a closed position with the: bristles housed: within the body. A t

The illustrated body 16 is elongated and generally rectangular in form. 'It. is hollow or channel shaped so as to provide a cavity 18 adapted to contain the bristles- 12. The cavity 18 is in one side of the body 16 while. the other side is formed with a longitudinal supporting. wall 20, adapted to support the flap 14 when the bristles are in their position of use. The cavity 18- is defined by a pair of side walls 22 and first and second end walls 24- and 26 which are arranged in rectangular fashion on one side of the longitudinal supporting wall 20; With the brush positioned as shown in Figs. 1-4, the longitudinal wall 20 is at the top of the body 16, while the cavity 18 is in the bottom of the body. The sid'eiand end walls 22, 24 andi26 extend downwardly from the broken 2,888,698 Patented June 2, 1 958 2 longitudinal supporting wall 20. It. will. be. seen that the side wall 22 has portions 27 which extend-.upwardly a small distance above the longitudinal-wall 20 so as to confine the flap 14 against lateral. movement when-,the flap is positioned along the wall 20 as shown in-Figs. l-4.

The body 16 may readily be molded in one piece from various plastic materials, such as nylon, polystyrene, vinyl, polyethylene and the like. A

The flap 14 and. the bristles 12 may readily. bemolded in one piece from various suitable plastic materials,.su'ch as nylon, vinyl, polyethylene or the like. Moreover, the fl'ap I4 and the bristlesIZ 'rni'ghtihe molded inone. piece with the body 16, but in the illustrated embodiment, the body 16 and the fl'ap 14, with its bri'stles' 12 are formed as two separate pieces. These are the only two, parts of the brush 10.

The flap 14 is anchored at one end to the central portion of one end of the body 16, so that-the flap 14 may readily be wrapped longitudinally in either direction around the body 16. The other end of the flap is adapted to be'disengageably connected to. the opposite. end of the body so that the flap and the bristles 121. will be securely held in either the open or the closed position. 7 p

In the illustrated construction, one end ojfthe'fl'ap 14 is securely anchored to the end wall 26, andis arranged to extend outwardly and endwise f'romthe, end wall. As shown, the end wall 24 is provided with a transverse horizontal slot 28 adapted to receive the flap I4. The slot opens outwardly from the end of the body'1'i6 so" that the flap 14-may passendwise therethrough; It will" be seen that the slot '28 has an enlarged innerportion' 30 adapted to interlock with a bead or bar 32 formed integrally at one end of the flap 14-. In this" case, the head 32 is substantially circular in cross-section; The illustrated slot 28 is open at one side walk 22, hutternfi natesat the other side wall so that the brush 10 may be assembled by inserting the flaplaterally' into the slot. The flap may be cemented in place in the's'lot 28 or may simply be retained by friction. Above and below the slot 28, the end wall 24 is'fo'rmed with rounded transverse portions 34 and 36 around which the fl-ap may be wrapped, as shown to best advantagein- Fig. 3.

Various means may be employed to connect the nee end of the flap 14 to the opposite end of the body 16. In this case, the body 16 has opposed upper and lower books 38 and 40 projecting endwise troni the and wait 26. The flap 14 is formed with a pair of eyes 42 adapted to be connected to the hooks38- and 40. horizontal groove 44 is formed on the body 16 betweenthe hacks 38 and. 40 and is adapted to receive a-thiclc'ened heado'r bar 46' whichis formed on the end of the flap 14 adjacent the eyes 42. It will be seenthat the hooks 38 and project. endwise on the body 16 from the rounded upper and lower portions 48 and 50 around which the flap 16 may be wrapped- Beveled corners 52'and- 5'4 are formed on the hooks 38, and 40 to facilitate the insertion of the bar 46 into the groove 44. I

The bristles 12 are positioned for use by wrapping the flap 14 upwardly sothat it will extend along and he supported by the longitudinal wall 20. The eyes 42 are hooked over the books 38 on the end wall 26; and-i the bar. 46 is inserted into the groove 44; The flap 14 is stretched tightly in this position so-that the bristles will be firmly retained on the body in their position of use. It will be apparent that the b0dy"1=6 may be grasped in the hand of the user'while the bristles were employed for brushing the users hair, clothing or the like.

1 The brush 10 is folded or collapsed by unhookihgthe flap from the hooks 38 and wrapping the flap around the bottom of the body 16 so that the bristles; 1'2 will-extend intoand be confined within thecavity' .18 The flap rnay be retained in this position by hooking the eyes 42 on to -the -hOoks 40. ---This closed position of theflap is shown in broken lines in Figs. 3 and 4. When thus folded, the brush is extremely compact. The bristles will notinterfere with carrying the brush in a pocket, purse orthe like. e a

,The brush may readily be molded in two pieces from suitable plastic materials. In fact, the flap and the body may actually be molded in one piece, although forming I the flap and the body in two separate pieces has the, advantage that difierent materials may be employed in the two pieces. Thus the body may be made of a more rigid material than the flap. In any case, the brush may be manufactured easily and at low cost.

x Various modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, as exemplified in the foregoing description and defined in the following claims.

We claim:

, I. In a brush, the combination comprising a generally channel-shaped body having a shallow elongated cavity therein opening laterally in one direction, said body having first and second end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall defining said cavity, a thin flexible elongated flap having a multitude of bristles formed integrally therewith and extending from one side thereof, said flap having thickened bead extending across one end thereof, said body having a transverse slot formed in said first end Wall and having an enlarged inner portion receiving said head, said slot having a reduced outer portion receiving the portion of said flap adjacent said head, said flap extending endwise of said body out of said slot and being'adapted to be wrapped endwise around said body in either direction, said flap thereby being movable between a closed position with said bristles extended into and confined within said cavity and an open position with sa fl l di along h Outside f said bottom wall iv: a. closed position with said bristles extended into and and projecting away from said body in position for use, said body having first and second hook means formed on said. second end wall, said flap having eye means formed on,th eend ghereof opposite from said head and engageable with said thook means. to retain said flap inv wrapped position aroundsaid body, said eye means being engageable withsaid first hook means when said flap is in said closed-position-and with said second hook means when saidflap-is in said openposition.

- 2. In a brush, the combination comprising an elongated generally rectangular body having a longitudinal supporting wall on one side thereof and a cavity formed in the opposite side thereof, said body having a pair of side walls and first and second end walls defining said cavity, said. first end wall having an anchoring slot extending transversely therein and opening endwise, said anchoring slot having an enlarged inner portion, a thin flexible elongated flap having one end extending endwise into said slot and having a thickened bar portion on said one end received in said enlarged inner portion of said slot to anchor said flap therein, said flap having a multitude of bristles formed integrally therewith and projecting from one side thereof, said flap being adapted to be wrapped endwise in either direction around said body and thereby being movable between an open position, with said flap lying along said longitudinal supporting wall and with said bristles extending away'from said body, and a closed position'with. said bristles extending into and contained within said cavity, said flap having a second bar formed on the opposite end thereof, said flap having eye means formed thereinndjacent said second bar, said second end wall of saidv body having atransverse groove formed therein and opening endwise for disengageably receiving said'second bar,- said bodyhaving hook means on saidsecond endwallon opposite sides of said groove for reception in said eye means to retain said flap in either ofsaidpcsitions., i-

3. In a brush, the combination comprising a generally channel-shaped body having a shallow elongated cavity therein opening laterally in one direction, said body having first and second end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall defining said cavity, a flexible elongated flap made of sheet material and having a multitude of bristles extending from one side thereof, said flap having a thickened bead extending across one end thereof, said body having a transverse slot formed in said first end wall and having an enlarged inner portion receiving said bead, said slot having a reduced outer portion receiving the portion of'said flap adjacent said bead, said flap extending endwise of said body of said slot and being adapted to be wrapped endwise around said body in either direction, said flap thereby being movable between a closed position with said bristles extended into and confined within said cavity and an open position with said flap extending along the outside of said bottom wall and projecting away-from said body in position for use, said body having hook means formed on said second end wall, said flap having eye means formed on the end thereof opposite from said bead and engageable with said hook means to retain said flap in either of said positions around said body. J I v T a 4. In a brush,'the combination comprising a generally channel-shaped body having a shallow elongated cavity therein opening laterally in one direction, said body having first-and second end walls, a pairiof side walls, and

, transverse slot formed in said first end wall, said flap having one end received in said slot, means anchoring said one end of said flap in said slot, said flap extending endwise of said body out of said slot and being adapted to be wrapped endwise around said body in either direction, said flap thereby being movable between confined within said cavity and an open position with said flap extending along the outside of said bottom wall and projecting away from said body in position for use, and means for disengag'eably connecting the opposite end of said flap to said second end wall of said body to retain said .fiap in either said open or said closed position 7 5. In a brush, the combination comprising a generally channel-shaped body having a shallow elongated cavity therein opening laterally in one direction, said body hav tion, said flap thereby being movable between a closedv position with said bristles extended into and confined within said cavity and an open position with said flap.

extending along the outside of said bottom wall and projecting away from said body in position for use, said body having hook means formed on said second end wall, said flap havingeye means formed on the end thereof opposite from said head and engageable with said hook means to retain said flap in either of said positions around said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,272,424 Gregg July 16, 1918 1,391,783 -McDermott Sept-27, 1921 V FOREIGN PATENTS 524,297 Belgium Dec. 15, 1,072,436 France Mar. 17, 1954 

